Folks hoping to travel between Soldotna and Anchorage on Christmas Eve were greeted with an unwanted delay when a large avalanche halted traffic at the Sterling and Seward Highway Y. The avalanche, which was approximately was 400 feet long, was first reported just after 8AM Sunday morning, and created an impasse which wasn’t cleared until approximately 3PM.
At the time, The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities was having trouble getting excavation equipment to the south side of the debris field.
Justin Shelby, DOT Central Region Administrative Operations Manager, told KSRM the morning of the avalanche; “The debris field is about 3 feet deep and about 400 feet long, covering the width of the highway. We don’t have a lot of resources on the South side of the debris field, so we’re currently mobilizing howitzers to get down there to make the area safe for crews to work.”
The hope for DOT was to attack the debris field from both the north and south sides to expedite clearing the roadway.
One woman was travelling with her three children at the time of the avalanche, and their vehicle was struck by the sliding snow field. Fortunately, she was prepared with winter gear for herself and her children, and all four exited the vehicle as quickly as possible–the DOT recommendation for anyone caught in an avalanche.
A video from the same vicinity of the avalanche has been circulating on social media since Christmas Eve, showing a large flow of snow moving rapidly down a mountain side. The post states it is not the same avalanche, nor a man made avalanche shot down by DOT.
Be cautious when driving between Soldotna and Anchorage or Seward during winter driving conditions, especially following heavy snow. Always travel with an emergency winter driving kit and winter gear.